Don’t memorize each verb-complement pair as its own vocabulary word; learn what the complement itself means, then reuse it with any verb that fits.
What Is a Result Complement?
A result complement attaches right after the verb to show whether the action actually reached a particular outcome. Saying just 看看 kàn only tells you the action of looking took place — it doesn’t guarantee anything was actually seen. Add the result complement 見见 jiàn and it becomes 看見看见 kànjiàn, confirming that the eyes really did register something. The two GIFs below show the difference:
看看 kàn
Describing the action of setting your eyes on something.
看見看见 kànjiàn
By adding the result complement 見见 jiàn, this implies that after setting your eyes on something, you register or receive the information that enters your vision.
1 Seven Complements to Know
| Complement | Meaning | Pairs With |
|---|
| 清楚清楚 qīngchu | clearly, distinctly | 聽听 tīng (listen), 看看 kàn (look), 說说 shuō (speak), 想想 xiǎng (think) … |
| 錯错 cuò | incorrectly, by mistake | 寫写 xiě (write), 說说 shuō (speak), 買买 mǎi (buy), 看看 kàn (look), 走走 zǒu (walk) … |
| 完完 wán | finished, used up | 吃吃 chī (eat), 做做 zuò (do), 看看 kàn (look), 說说 shuō (speak), 用用 yòng (use) … |
| 好好 hǎo | properly done, all set | 做做 zuò (do), 準備准备 zhǔnbèi (prepare), 寫写 xiě (write), 說说 shuō (speak) … |
| 懂懂 dǒng | understand (the meaning) | 看看 kàn (look), 聽听 tīng (listen) |
| 乾淨干净 gānjìng | clean | 洗洗 xǐ (wash), 擦擦 cā (wipe), 打掃打扫 dǎsǎo (sweep/clean) |
| 會会 huì | master, learn how to | mainly 學学 xué (learn) — fairly fixed |
2 Structure Overview
One verb-complement pair, three different structures. Watch 吃完吃完 chīwán (“finish eating”) move through all three below — the complement itself never changes, but each structure asks a different question.
| Structure | Example | What it asks / states |
|---|
| V + RC | 吃完吃完 chīwán | bare form — used inside a bigger sentence, not a full statement on its own |
| V + RC + 了了 | 吃完了吃完了 chīwán le | states it as fact: the result happened |
| 沒没 + V + RC | 沒吃完没吃完 méi chīwán | states it as fact: the result did not happen |
① V + RC — bare, inside a larger sentence
你先吃完飯，我們再出門你先吃完饭，我们再出门
Finish eating first, then we’ll head out.
② V + RC + 了了 — a completed fact
我吃完飯了我吃完饭了
I’ve finished eating.
③ 沒没 + V + RC — a not-completed fact
我還沒吃完飯我还没吃完饭
I haven’t finished eating yet.
There’s Also a “Possible To ___?” Version
① ② ③ above are all 結果補語结果补语 — result complement: they report what actually happened (or didn’t). Chinese also has a related pattern that slots 得得 de or 不不 bù between the verb and the complement (e.g. 吃得完吃得完 / 吃不完吃不完) — this is 可能補語可能补语 — potential complement, a judgment about whether the result is possible, not a statement about whether it happened.
Potential complement is a big enough topic to deserve its own lesson — see Potential Complement 1 → for the full structure and more examples.
3 Each Complement in Action
Same complement, different verbs — notice how the meaning of the complement stays constant no matter which verb it follows.
清楚清楚 qīngchu clearly
老師的話你聽清楚了嗎？老师的话你听清楚了吗？
Did you hear the teacher’s words clearly?
請你看清楚黑板上的字请你看清楚黑板上的字
Please look clearly at the words on the board.
你可以說清楚一點嗎？你可以说清楚一点吗？
Can you explain more clearly?
錯错 cuò incorrectly
你寫錯了兩個漢字你写错了两个汉字
You wrote two Chinese characters incorrectly.
我要冰拿鐵換燕麥奶，你別買錯了我要冰拿铁换燕麦奶，你别买错了
I want an iced latte with oat milk instead of regular milk. Please don’t get it wrong.
對不起，我走錯教室了对不起，我走错教室了
Sorry, I went to the wrong classroom.
完完 wán finished / used up
我還沒吃完飯我还没吃完饭
I haven’t finished my meal yet.
你做完功課了嗎？你做完功课了吗？
Have you finished your homework?
我昨天看完了那本小說我昨天看完了那本小说
I finished reading that novel yesterday.
好好 hǎo properly done
他如果不做好他的工作，就別請他了他如果不做好他的工作，就别请他了
If he doesn’t do his job well, don’t hire him.
我準備好了我准备好了
I’m ready.
信我已經寫好了，明天就寄出去信我已经写好了，明天就寄出去
I’ve already finished writing the letter; I’ll mail it tomorrow.
懂懂 dǒng understand
This one is more limited — it mostly follows perception verbs like 看看 and 聽听.
這個句子你看懂的話，請回答我的問題这个句子你看懂的话，请回答我的问题
If you understand this sentence, please answer my question.
其實你沒聽懂我在說什麼，對吧？其实你没听懂我在说什么，对吧？
You don’t understand what I’m saying, do you?
你的解釋我聽懂了，謝謝你你的解释我听懂了，谢谢你
I understood your explanation, thank you.
乾淨干净 gānjìng clean
衣服請你洗乾淨再穿衣服请你洗干净再穿
Please wash your clothes clean before you wear them.
請把桌子擦乾淨请把桌子擦干净
Please wipe the table clean.
他把浴室刷乾淨了他把浴室刷干净了
He scrubbed the bathroom clean.
會会 huì master
Unlike the others, 會会 huì as a result complement is almost entirely fixed to 學會学会 xuéhuì — it doesn’t wander off to other verbs the way 完完 or 錯错 do.
結婚十年，我學會了妥協结婚十年，我学会了妥协
After ten years of marriage, I have learned to compromise.
他學會了開車，終於可以自己上班了他学会了开车，终于可以自己上班了
He learned how to drive, so he can finally commute by himself.
小朋友很快就學會了寫自己的名字小朋友很快就学会了写自己的名字
The child quickly learned to write their own name.
4 The Role of 了了 le
V + 了了 le alone just means the action happened — it doesn’t guarantee it was finished or successful. Adding a result complement before 了了 le confirms the result actually happened.
我寫了作業我写了作业
I wrote (some) homework. (Not necessarily finished.)
孩子寫完了作業孩子写完了作业
The child finished his homework. (Confirmed complete.)
你覺得你看懂了嗎？你觉得你看懂了吗？
Do you think you understand it?
5 Common Mistakes
清楚清楚 qīngchu and 懂懂 dǒng get mixed up often — but they answer different questions. 清楚清楚 is about whether you could perceive something (see it / hear it distinctly); 懂懂 is about whether you understood its meaning.
❌
黑板上的字太小，我沒看懂黑板上的字太小，我没看懂
✅
黑板上的字太小，我沒看清楚黑板上的字太小，我没看清楚
The problem here is that the text was too small to perceive — you couldn’t see it clearly, which is 清楚清楚. It’s not that the meaning was hard to grasp, which would be 懂懂.
6 Practice
Translate each sentence into Chinese, then tap the card to check your answer. Each item uses a different verb — try to reuse the same complement meanings from above.
01He said the wrong name.
他說錯了名字他说错了名字
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02I’ve used up all the shampoo.
洗髮精我用完了洗发水我用完了
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03Think it through clearly before you decide.
你先想清楚再決定你先想清楚再决定
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04Didn’t we already agree on the time?
時間我們不是說好了嗎？时间我们不是说好了吗？
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05I finally understood what he meant.
我終於聽懂他的意思了我终于听懂他的意思了
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06Please clean the whole room.
請把房間打掃乾淨请把房间打扫干净
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07I misread the number.
我看錯了數字我看错了数字
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08Let me finish talking, then you can respond.
讓我說完，你再回答让我说完，你再回答
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09Without my glasses, I couldn’t see clearly.
沒戴眼鏡，我看不清楚没戴眼镜，我看不清楚
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10Have you learned how to make dumplings yet?
你學會包餃子了嗎？你学会包饺子了吗？
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